Great Fire of London Workshop for Schools

Provided by The Drama Hut (External Provider)

Travel to 1666 and discover the Great Fire of London through drama

Meet Thomas Farriner, the King’s baker from Pudding Lane, and step into the heart of the Great Fire of London. As one of the few to survive and tell the tale, Thomas guides children through the three dramatic days that changed the city forever. Along the way, they also encounter Samuel Pepys, the famous diarist, whose eyewitness accounts bring history to life. Through imaginative drama, pupils explore what it was really like to live in London before, during and after the fire. Children will create striking 10-second still images from the period, examine quotes from Pepys’ diary to uncover their true meanings, and perform a poem charting the spread of the fire across the city. Using movement and song, they become the fire itself, building tension and dramatic climax. The workshop concludes with a lively debate alongside Samuel Pepys, exploring how the fire reshaped London and how future architecture could be improved.

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Format

The session is an interactive drama workshop led by a professional actor in role as key historical figures. Children explore the events of the Great Fire of London through role play, still images, movement, song and discussion. Activities build from life before the fire to its dramatic climax, concluding with reflection on how the fire changed London and shaped its future.

Age Groups

• Y1 - Y2

How we work

Our workshops include tailored, fully interactive, drama games, role play, team work exercises, songs, movement and more, led by a professional costumed actor.

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Learning Outcomes and Curriculum Links

Understanding the Great Fire of London Through Drama

By the end of the workshop, pupils will have a secure understanding of the causes, key events and lasting impact of the Great Fire of London. Through an immersive drama experience, they will explore life in London before, during and after the fire, stepping into the perspectives of historical figures such as Thomas Farriner and Samuel Pepys. Using role play, still images, movement, discussion and performance, pupils will develop historical knowledge alongside key skills including speaking, listening, collaboration and empathy. The workshop supports curriculum learning by encouraging enquiry, interpretation of historical sources, and reflection on how the fire reshaped London and influenced future building and city planning.

Curriculum Links: This workshop is designed to support and enrich the Primary National Curriculum through an engaging, cross-curricular drama approach. It directly links to History at Key Stage 1, enabling pupils to develop a chronological understanding of significant events beyond living memory, with a particular focus on the Great Fire of London. Pupils explore key historical concepts including cause and consequence, similarity and difference, and change over time, while learning about the lives of significant individuals such as Thomas Farriner and Samuel Pepys. The workshop also strongly supports English curriculum objectives by developing speaking and listening skills. Through discussion, debate, role play and performance, pupils articulate ideas, respond thoughtfully to others, and use language to explore meaning and viewpoint. Pupils interpret extracts from historical sources, including diary entries, helping them to understand how evidence from the past is recorded and interpreted.

Cost

Prices start at £130 for a single workshop (online), or £295 on-site for a single 2 hour workshop, with discounts available when multiple sessions are booked. Whether on-site or online, we are also able to deliver two different topics to different year groups on the same day.
Whether it's a history topic, creative writing workshop, PSHE or an opportunity to celebrate a significant person or event, let us help you to inspire learning with a Drama Hut workshop. 

Testimonials

As last year, this year's workshop was fantastic! All of the children were hooked from the moment they stepped into the hall and Thomas Farriner emerged! The children thoroughly enjoyed the workshop and were talking about it for days after, the writing they produced in the days after was testament to the actor and how he engaged the children with arrange of activities from start to finish. A huge thank you!"

Vicky Goode, The Epiphany School

"The children loved being able to get involved, especially the freeze frames and the ribbon fire nursery rhymes. The kids were engaged from the start with the fire and loved the different historical figures they saw."

Simon Gerrard, Green Top School

Checklist

Enhanced DBS Checked Instructors
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About This Provider (The Drama Hut)

Head Office: The Drama Hut, Teddington, Greater London, TW11 8EZ

Through drama, children are able to experience a subject, complementing and enhancing their learning in the classroom. The Drama Hut was founded in 2012, as a resource for primary schools, to help bring the curriculum to life and support learning. Whether you choose to have us visit you online or on-site, our workshops are delivered live, offering an interactive learning experience for all primary school aged children throughout the United Kingdom and abroad.

Delivery Format

Requirements

We require a clear space to work in and at least one member of staff to be present. We work with a maximum of 30 children at a time, unless prearranged with the school.

Available Regions

This service is available internationally

Anywhere in England

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